NAG unhappy at Rodney response

CARALISE MOORE

 

The Northern Action Group is disappointed with the Rodney District Council's response at an extraordinary meeting last Thursday.

The group asked to meet councillors to present its petition to join the Kaipara District and seek support in lobbying the Local Government Commission with a bill to that end.

The Northern Action Group and Wellsford Community Group gathered 6286 signatures in support of northern Rodney's exclusion from the Auckland super-city.

But the Rodney District Council voted to push for a bill to make it a unitary authority.

"Right from day one, the majority of council – and the vast majority of people within our district – have said that Rodney should remain outside the new Auckland Council's jurisdiction and be constituted as a unitary authority," mayor Penny Webster said. Mrs Webster said feedback from residents married with the findings of a Colmar Brunton survey of 1200 Rodney residents last year which found that only 22 per cent wanted to be included in the super-city.

The local bill must be introduced to Parliament by Rodney MP and speaker Lockwood Smith before May.

Bill Townson, from the Northern Action Group, says the results were very disappointing.

"I'm disgusted. The meeting was hijacked and we have no chance in hell for Rodney to be a unitary authority. We already tried that.

"What we wanted wasn't even advanced. But it's not the end of the day for us. Our petition still holds weight."

Councillors were presented with three options – to support a Kaipara District Council Local Bill, prepare its own bill, or do nothing. Votes were divided.

"It isn't about all-in or all-out for Rodney. Northern Rodney people have a case," deputy mayor John Kirikiri said. "The rural residents have different wants and needs to the urban. We are wasting time to go after a bill on our own – we know it won't happen. We're blowing in the wind. People from the north need to get out; with us they have no chance."

Rodney chief executive Rodger Kerr-Newell said northern Rodney joining with Kaipara District was not financially viable.

"When we looked into joining with Kaipara originally, we found it is short of money. With such a geographically large area and low density it is unsustainable. It is not financially viable. Rodney district, as a whole, is."

Federated Farmers thinks it is time for Rodney to put aside "petty politicking" and focus on getting the best deal for its residents.

"Rodney council becoming a unitary authority is simply not a runner," Federated Farmers Auckland acting president Wendy Clark said.

"Federated Farmers has looked at the numbers and they just don't stack up. Rodney would have to absorb a lot of costs which are currently absorbed regionally without any economies of scale.

In the year 2008-2009, Auckland Regional Council spent more than $20 million in Rodney, but only got $10 million back in rates. This means there would have to be big rate increases.

"The debate about whether Rodney should take part is done and dusted and it's now time to discuss the local/central function split.

"Council has to focus on the issues of the day otherwise they'll disadvantage rural Auckland once the new governance arrangements are up and running.

"Federated Farmers has worked hard to ensure rural Auckland has its own separate local boards and we're now pushing to get these boards running as many functions as possible.

"This is where council should be focusing its attention, not on self-serving stunts that take attention away from the real issues."

- © Fairfax NZ News